Fifty farmers in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will be enrolled in Xinjiang Agricultural University in May, in the first attempt at "reserved education" in Chinese colleges.
Reserved education is a system allowing colleges to reserve places for students from certain areas who return to work when they finish their studies.
The fifty farmers are from Hutubi County with an average age of 26.7. All of them have certificates from local high schools or vocational training schools.
They passed an examination in the town before coming to the university. They were expected to take the National College Entrance Examination for Adults in May to become qualified students, according to the university.
The university provides them with 32 agricultural courses and will issue them certificates after a two-year period of study.
"The system could boost the education of Chinese farmers and will further benefit the rural economy," said Zhang Jianhua, deputy head of the university.
Hutubi County will invest 1.2 million yuan (US$146,000) in the college education of 250 farmers over five years, say sources with the county.
(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2003)
